Joseph e



(N o Model.) I

'J. E. LA-NDERS.

PEN, N0. 506,853. Patented Oct. 17, 1893.

jaw/@ 4 1 4 UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrrcn.

JOSEPH E. LANDERS, OF N FNV BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,853, dated October 1'7, 1893.

Application filed June 2, 1893. Serial No. 476,335- (No modeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH E. LANDERS, of New Bedford, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pens, of which the following description, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Pens for writing or marking purposes as now commonly constructed comprise a body portion shaped at one end to constitute a marking or writing point and provided at its opposite end with a semicircular or curved shank adapted to be inserted in a suitable pen holder to permit it to be used.

Pen holders are made of various sizes, and the slots to receive the shanks of the pens are of various curvatures corresponding to the size of the holder and to the particular fancy of the purchaser or user, and likewise pens are made of various sizes, shapes and thicknesses, the curvature and sizes of the shanks correspondingly varying.

It frequently happens that it is impossible to use aparticular pen with the desired holder, for the reason that the curvature of the shank of the pen is either too great or too small to permit it to be inserted in the holding slot of the holder, owing to the different curvature of the holding slot in the holder. In the use of rubber pen holders now so generally employed by penmen there is more or less flexibility of the holder which permits pens having shanks differing in curvature from the curvature of the slot in the holder to be used, yet the rubber holders are frequently broken by these attempts to use pens which do not fit and are not adapted to the particular holder desired. To overcome these difficulties and to permit various sizes and kinds of pens to be used with any particular holder, whatever be the size of the latter, I have discovered that by providing the curved shank of the pen with one or more slits or openings said shank is given a flexibility which though not necessarily great yet is sufficient to permit it to adapt itself to practically any curvature of the holding slot in the holder.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a pen having acurved slotted shank in accordance with this invention, and Fig. 2, a right hand end view of the pen looking at the end of the shank.

Referring to the drawings in the particular form of pen selected to illustrate this invention,a represents the body portion shaped or formed at one of its ends to constitute a writing point a and formed at its opposite endto present a usual-semicircular or semicylindrical shank adapted to be entered into a curved slot in the pen holder of any style or construction. In accordance with this invention I slit this curved shank a or otherwise perforateit to divide it into segments, the shank of the pen shown being provided with a single central slit a which maybe formed by cutting knives or by sawing, stamping, or in any other suitable or desired manner, the only requirement being that the opening or openings formed in the shank be such as will permit it to yield more or less to change its already curved form to thereby adapt itself to varying curvatures of holding slots in pen holders.

Referring to Fig. 2, the dotted lines illustrate the flexibility of the shank slitted in accordance with this invention, and show how easily the already curved segments formed by the slots may adapt themselves to holding slits of varying curvatures. If the holding slot is of a less radius than the natural curv ature of the shank, the two segments of the shank may be pressed together, as in dotted lines Fig. 2, to permit the shank to be entered into the holder. On the other hand if the pen is a small one for the holder the segments of the shank may be spread out to approximate a curve of longer radius to fit the holding slot in the holder.

This invention is not limited to any particular kind of pen, nor to any particular size or material of which the curved shank consists, neither is the invention limited to any particular number, size or shape of the slits, the gist of the invention consisting in slitting the previously curved shank to permit it to yield sufficiently to adapt itself to holders of various sizes, and having curved holding slots of a curvature differing from the natural curvature of the shank. The shank of the pen being already a curved shank, it necessarily yields but slightly to permit the curved se,,- ments to adapt themselves to curved slots of greater or lesscurvature, the adaptability of 2.. A pen provided with a holding shank the slitted curved shank lying not so much in comprising aplnralityofindependently yieldthe resiliency of the segments as in the abing segments, substantially as described.

sence of rigidity between the edges or outside In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 points of the curved shank. name to this specification in the presence of I 5 I claim two subscribing witnesses. 1. A pen having a curved or semi-cylindri- JOSEPH E. LANDERS. cal holding shank slitted to permit it to adapt Witnesses: itself to holders of varying curvatures, sub AUGUSTA E. DEAN,

[o stantially as described. FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

